Students, families and friends of the Pontiac Academy of Excellence braved wind and rain Thursday morning to carry on with the second Family & Community Breast Walk-a-thon to McLaren Oakland. Funds raised will be donated to the McLaren Oakland Foundation’s Sister & Sister Free Mammogram Program that was launched in 2007.

Since then, 3,000 low income, uninsured and underserved women in Oakland County have had free breast cancer screenings, said Teresa Rodges, executive director of the foundation and founder of the program. More than 50 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and referred to a physician for follow-up treatment, Rodges said. Last year, $10,000 was raised.